Closure means for wrapped packages



Aug. 6, 1968 D. s. KONCAK CLOSURE MEANS FOR WRAPPED PACKAGES Filed Sept.

DONALD5J47NCAK INVENTOR. BY fflm A r'roamey FIG-1.5

United States Patent 3,395,852 CLOSURE MEANS FOR WRAPPED PACKAGES Donald S. Koncak, 703 Winona St., Northfield, Minn. 55057 Filed Sept. 5, 1967, Ser. No. 665,339 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-87) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The foldedin parts of a thin, pliant wrapper at the ends of a package are held in place by an adhesively attached area of thin bendable metal which, after opening the package, serves to re-close it by folding the wrapper and overlying area of thin metal.

Background the invention Many articles of merchandise are packaged by being wrapped in a piece of thin, pliant sheet material which resists creasing when folded. Thus, for example, a loaf of sliced bread is packaged by wrapping around the loaf a piece of thin sheet material, such as polyethylene film, securing the overlapped portions of the film lengthwise of the loaf, folding in the protruding parts at both ends of the loaf to close the package and adhesively securing a label to the folded parts to hold them in folded position.

The package is opened by [rupturing the label so that the folded parts are released to permit access to the contents of the package. If the contents are partially removed and it is desired to re-close the package, some additional element such as a rubber band, piece of string, or wire, will he required to hold the parts of the sheet material wrapper in closed relation because the thin sheet material resists creasing when folded and hence the package cannot be closed by folding and creasing the parts of the Wrapper.

Summary of the invention An object of the invention is to provide a package of the type described having improved means for re-closing the package after the initial opening thereof. Another object is to provide such a package haying closure means carried by the wrapper and serving to hold the parts of the wrapper in original closed position and in re-closed position after the package has been opened.

According to the invention, the folded-in parts of the wrapper positioned at least at one end of the package are held in original closed position by means of an area of thin bendable metal, such as aluminum foil, which is adhesively secured to at least some of the parts. Access to the contents of the package is gained by rupturing the area of metal so that the folded-in parts of the wrapper are released to open the package. After the contents of the package have been partially removed, the package may be closed by folding and creasing the parts of the metal area and the underlying parts of the wrapper.

In order to facilitate rupture of the metal area, it is preferably weakened across its central portion by a score line or by forming oppositely positioned re-entrant portions in the respective sides of the area.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a loaf of sliced bread in a wrapped package embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing an end of a partially wrapped loaf of bread.

3,395,852 Patented Aug. 6, 1968 FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the method of folding in the end parts of the wrapper.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of one end of the package of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of one end of the package after partial removal of the contents and reclosure of the package.

Description of preferred embodiments A preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawings wherein 10 indicates, generally, a wrapped package embodying the invention. To illustrate the application of the invention, an article such as a loaf of sliced bread 11 is wrapped in a piece of thin, pliant sheet material 12 which resists creasing when folded, such as polyethylene film, for example. The overlapping portions of the wrapper 12 are united by a suitable adhesive or sealing step lengthwise of and on the bottom of the package as indicated at 13. The portion of the wrapper 12 protruding at each end of the package has the side parts 14 and 15 which are folded inwardly and the top and bottom parts 16 and 17 which also are folded inwardly, as shown in FIG. 3.

The folded parts 14, 15, 16 and 17 serve to close the package and the parts are held in closed position by an area of thin bendable metal 18, such as aluminum foil, which is adhesively secured to the parts and preferably only to the top and bottom parts 16 and 17, respectively. To facilitate rupture of the area of metal 18, it is provided with a weakened portion extending transversely and centrally thereof. This weakened portion may be provided by a score line 19 or by forming ire-entrant portions 20 and 21 opposite each other at the periphery or sides of the area of metal to form a narrow neck 23 which connects the upper and lower parts, 24 and 25, respectively, of the area of metal 18.

The package may be opened by rupturing the area of metal 18 by tearing or cutting at the narrow neck portion 23. Upon partial removal of the contents of the package, it may be re-closed by folding the protruding end parts of the wrapper and the overlying parts 24 and 25 of the area of metal. The parts of the thin, pliant wrapper 12 will be held in folded position to close the package by the metal parts 24 and 25 which remain creased when folded.

For the commonly used cellophane or polyethylene wrappers having a thickness of about .0015 inch, the area of metal 18 may be formed of steel foil with a thickness of about .001 inch or of aluminum -foil having a thickness of about .002 inch. The surface 'of the metal foil area may be overprinted so as to serve as a label. The metal foil area may be applied at one or both ends of the package. The invention is adapted for use under prevailing commercial practices and with currently available wrapping machinery.

While the invention has been shown in certain specific forms, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A merchandise package comprising a thin sheet of pliant material resistant to creasing when folded, said sheet when wrapped about the merchandise having a tubular section extending beyond one end of the latter, said tubular section including side end portions folded inwardly towards each other and top and bottom end portions folded toward each other in overlapping relationship to a v3 encase the wrapper about the merchandise, a limited area M I r v References Cited of thin bendable metal secured to the ontm ost of sa1d PATENTS overlapped folded portions to mamtaln said wrapper encased about the merchandise and to close said package, 9 0 5/ 1952 Townsend 22987 said area of metal having a rup-turable intermediate trans- 5 3,201,030 8/ 1965 Pollack 22987 verse zone to open the package, and upon removal of a 3,330,469 7/1967 Koncak 22965 portion of the merchandise serving to reclose the end of the package upon folding and creasing together the sheet FOREIGN. PATENTS material and the area of bendable metal. 1,011,649 12/ 1965 Great Britain.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein said rupturable e transverse zone has oppositely facing re-entrant portions. DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner 

